Agitating device.



v UNITED STATES AGITATING DEVICE.

Patented January 31, 1905.

I PATENT OFFICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 781,406, dated January 31, 1905.

" Application filed January 28, 1904f Serial N0. 190,959.

To all whom, it may concern.-

acitizen of the United States of America, and

,a resident of Glenwood' Springs, Garfield county, State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Agitating Devices, of which the'following is a specification.

Myinvention relates to an improvement in agitating devices which are intended to keep liquids or liquids withsolid particles in agitation in processes such as the cyanidation of gold and silver ores, leaching of ores, and

' other similar metallurgical processes; and the ordinary marine propeller rotating Within the tank at such a depth that the solid particles after settling will not interfere with the start- 'ing of the propeller, with a series 'of radial diaphragms placed vertically within the tank, preferably in the manner hereinafter indicated, so constructed that the liquids or liq, uids with solid particles contained therein willpass freely through, around, and under them, the purpose of which diaphragms is to prevent rotation of the material in the tank when being agitated without subdividing the tank into separate or independent compartments.

'The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying two sheets of drawings, of which Figure 1 is a vertical section of the apparatus in which an open tank is employed. Fig. 2 is a vertical section, and Fig. 3 a horizontal section, of the apparatus employed in connection with an inclosed tank.

In both of the sheets of drawings, A represents the tank, which may be of any conven ient shape.

B represents the inlet-pipe, which in the case of an open tank would ordinarily be a inserted therein.

closed tank a pipe, in which asuitable cut-0E valve B is'shown, which is 'placedin any convenient position with respect to the tank and through which the material to be agitated is 0 is a manhole in the bottom of the tank, through which the final discharge of the tank takes place when the operation is terminated. I 'D represents a pipe passing through the side of the tank, through which the liquid portion may from time to time be discharged and controlled by the valve D. The pipe D is conv trough, as there shown, but in the case of the 7 Be it known that I, WALTER B. DEv-EREUX,

nected within the tank to a flexible pipe P,

nically knownas a floating siphon, and the pipe P is attached to the block J by means of the coupling K, as shown in the views. In-

.stead of conn'ecting'the pipe D with the floating siphon for-the purpose of drawing ofi the liquid portion intermittently the pipe D may be connected with one or more filtering devices of suitable form placed at one or more convenient points within the tank.

E represents avertical shaft extending down into the tank, as shown, and which carries on its lower end a propeller F of the ordinary form used in modern marine practice. In the case of a fiat-bottom tank this propeller is turned in such a way as to force the material downward against the bottom of the tank. The shaft rotates in bearings G in the case of the open tank attached to a beam T and in the case of the closed tank passes through a suitable stufiing-box S on the topof the tank, as shown in Fig. 2. The shaft carries at its upper extremity a pulley H, which is driven by a suitable belt The method of driving the shaft and device for controlling its movement and reducing its friction, &c., form no part of the invention, but may be varied from time to time, according to the purposes for which the device is employed.

The interior of the tank is divided into communicating compartments by the diaphragms L, which consist'of vertical plates attached to supports M, passing horizontally across the tank and attached at either side by the bolts N and which are of sufficient area and suflil ciently near together to substantially prevent rotation of the material when in agitation. The plates L may be of any size, there may be any number of them, and they may be arranged in any desirable way, provided that they be of such size and so placed as to prevent rotation of the material and to allow communication from all parts of the tank at any level and provided they permit the liquid to be drawn from all parts of the tank at any level. Hence the structure shown in the drawings is merely one which is preferable by reason of simplicity and cheapness of construction. The lower ends of the outer plates' are preferably extended below the propeller, as shown in the drawings, in order that they may afford a greater resisting surface. In cases where it is deemed expedient, as in the case of an open tank, such as shown in Fig. 1, thelower corners of the tank may be filled up with cement or other suitable material in the manner shown in Fig. 1 in order that the solid particles may be easily scoured from the bottom of the tank by the action of the propeller. This in certain cases will add to the efliciency of the device, as it prevents very heavy particles from settling in the angle while the agitation is taking place. In the case of a closed tank an air-pipe Q, is provided, controlled by a valve Q, and a manhole A, through which access may from time to time be had to the interior of the tank and the floating siphon J controlled. In certain processes it is found advantageous to introduce a certain amount of compressed air, and for this purpose the pipe Q is provided, through which air can be introduced and in convenient quantities whenever necessary in order to facilitate operations.

The method of operation is as follows: The material to be agitated is introduced in the tank and the propeller is set in revolution. As the diaphragms do not divide the tank into subdivisions or compartments notconnecting, but, on the contrary, merely prevent the rotation of the material within it, the first elfect of the rotation of the propeller is to draw the liquid from above and force it downward against the bottom of the tank, where it is deflected radially along the bottom and toward the sides. This produces an intense scouring action, which in a short time lifts the solid particles from the bottom of the tank and forms a homogeneous mixture of liquid and solid material through every part of the tank, which condition continues as long as the propeller is kept in operation. The propeller is placed at a point slightly above the point to which the solid material will ultimately settle in order to prevent the same from packing around the propeller-blades, and thereby interfering with the starting of the propeller. After the material has been agitated a sulficient time the propeller is stopped, and the clear solution can then be drawn off from the top through the floating siphon as soon as the solid material has settled enough to leave a layer of clear liquid at the top. The process can be repeated with fresh liquid as often as desired and the final residues discharged through the manhole C.

I am aware that devices have been invented for effecting agitation of liquids or liquids with solid particles in a tank in which a propeller rotates; but I am unaware of the existence of any device which is practically capable of permitting commercially satisfactory alternate agitation and decantation of the liquid portion,as my device is capable of doing, for the reason that all of such devices contain elements which in practical effect divide the interior of the tank into separate compartments or else have no means of preventing rotation of the material while being agitated. The gist of the invention is to prevent rotation and at the same time permit decantation, which has, so far as I am aware, not been accomplished by any of the earlier devices. Unless rotation of the charge is prevented the solid material tends to settle in a solid mass around the outer edge of the bottom, thereby preventing the amount of agitation necessary to enable the proper chemical action to take place.

By the term decanting as employed in the claims I intend to cover any ordinary or usual means capable of being employed in this apparatus for the purpose of decanting or drawing off the liquid after settling above the mass at the bottom.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination in a metallurgical apparatus, of a tank; means for dividing it into communicating compartments; means for decanting the liquid contents, and a propeller arranged to rotate on a vertical shaft within the tank above the level to which the solid material of the charge will settle when the propeller is at rest.

2. The combination in a metallurgical apparatus, of a closed tank; means for dividing it into communicating compartments; means for decanting the liquid contents, and a propeller arranged to rotate on a vertical shaft within the tank above the level to which the solid material of the charge will settle when the propeller is at rest.

3. The combination in ametallurgical apparatus, of a tank; diaphragms located therein and dividing it into communicating compartments; means for decanting the liquid contents, and a propeller arranged to rotate on a vertical shaft centrally within the tank above the level to which'the solid material of the charge will settle when the propeller is at rest.

4. The combination ina metallurgical apparatus,of a closed tank; diaphrams located therein and dividing it into communicating comments, and a propeller arranged to'rotate on a vertical shaft centrally within the tank above the level to which the solid material of the charge will settle when the propeller is at rest, and a decanting means. v

6. The combination in a metallurgical apparatus of a tank; a plurality of vertical plates on either side of the shaft substantially in a manner set forth of such size and of such distances apart as would prevent the rotation of the material and at the same time allow free communication between all parts of the tank and a propeller arranged to rotate on a vertical shaft within the tank above the level to which the solid material of the charge will settle whenthe propeller is at rest.

7 The combination in a metallurgical appa ratus of a closed tank; a plurality of vertical plates on either side of the shaft substantially in the manner set forth of such size and of such distances apart as would prevent the rotation of the material and at the same time allow free communication between all "parts of the tank and a propeller arranged to rotate on a vertical shaft within the tank above the level to which the solid material of the charge will settle when the propeller is at rest.

8. The combination in a metallurgical appa float,-a flexible pipe connected thereto, and a valved outlet connected to the lower end of the flexible pipe and located'in the wall of the tank near its bottom.

9. The combination,in a metallurgical apparatus for the purposes described, of a closed tank or vessel provided with inlet and outlet means arranged respectively at the top and bottom thereof, and with an upper air-inlet, of a divisional partition terminating above the bot: tom of the tank and forming opposite communicating compartments, a central stuffingbox in the upper, endof the tank or vessel, a shaft mounted to rotate therein,-and a propeller carried by said shaft and located above the mass of solid particles in the bottom of the tank.

10. The. combination'in ametallurgical ap- 'paratus for the purposes described, of a tank, upper and lower diametrical supports extended thereacross, vertical diaphragm-plates secured thereto, spaced apartand terminating above the bottom of the tank, said plates having their lower ends declining toward the Wall of the tank, a vertical centrally-located rotatable shaft, and a propeller located thereon above the mass'of particles contained in the tank.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my inventionI have signed my name, in presence of two witnesses, this 25th day of January, 1904.

WALTER B. DEVEREUX.

Witnesses:

Josnrn DU Vim-ER, HENRY H. GRAFF. 

